WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Fast & Furious had a massive 72.5 million opening, biggest debut for an April weekend ever. Monsters vs. Aliens placed, but grossed only 33.5 million and fell a large-for-animation 44 percent. The Haunting in Connecticut shows with 9.6 million, dropping 59 percent, but still likely doing better than Lionsgate expected. Knowing droped another 45 percent, taking in 8.1 million. I Love You, Man rounds out the Top Five with 7.8 million -- a good hold, putting the flick ahead of where Forgetting Sarah Marshall was after three weekends. Below the fold, Adventureland debuted in sixth with six million, with a decent per-screen average that gives hope for legs. Sunshine Cleaning makes the Top Ten, despite being on only 479 screens.

WHAM! PopMatters devoted a special section to the 25th anniversary of the Make It Big LP for April Fool's Day.

THE CUTOUT BIN: From King Khan & the Shrines to Tommy James & the Shondells, from Petula Clark to the Jesus & Mary Chain, from Jack Black to Black Keys, plus Paul Westerberg, Aretha Franklin, Gary Numan, Nancy Sinatra, and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases are the fourt hinstallment of Fast & Furious, which is currently scoring 17 percent on the ol' Tomatometer, and Adventureland, which is currently scoring 85 percent.

ARAB LEADERS may be divided over which Palestinian faction to support and what to do about Iran's rising influence, but they have found one cause to rally around: protecting the president of Sudan from charges that he orchestrated the rape, killing and widespread pillaging in Darfur.

AFGHANISTAN: Taliban insurgents reject a US offer of "honorable reconciliation," a top spokesman said on Wednesday, calling it a "lunatic idea" and saying the only way to end the war was to withdraw foreign troops. US surge troops see the highway running south from Kabul as the road to freedom.

THE DECEMBERISTS: Colin Meloy talks to The A.V. Club the origins of The Hazards of Love, the expectations and stereotypes facing his no-longer-indie "indie" band, and why the press just didn't get Morrissey back in his salad days.

THE HOLD STEADY: Craig Finn talks to the Grand Rapids Press about playing to seated audiences, the role faith plays in his songwriting, and more...

U2: Neighbors of The Edge have become more than a little skeptical about his green credentials after seeing plans for a stunning £30million mansion he wants to build on top of an unspoilt mountain.

BRITNEY SPEARS found an on-tour playmate in a hunky 21-year-old backup dancer while father Jamie was tending to business in L.A. late this month. She had such good luck marrying a backup dancer, so why not?

OPRAH WINFREY's elite boarding school for girls in South Africa has been rocked by its second sex scandal in fewer than two years.